The Trials of Kindness
by Apollomon x Stingmon
Summary: He's been neglected by his family, turning to Darkness when he was in pain and then returned to the Light when others saved him from himself. Despite saving the world from Darkness, despite returning to the Light and finding friends that love him for him, why is the Child of Kindness still suffering? When will he find peace? Prequel to Meaning of Forgiveness
1. By Death's Door

Stingmon hated seeing him in pain. It was quite obvious with the way he was gently cradling his arm as he attempted to clean the bloody gash on his arm while Ken leaned against him for support. Ken flinched slightly as the cool water stun the tender, and maybe slightly infected, flesh. Ken bit his lip as he tried to suppress a sob as Stingmon attempted to remove the remaining glass shards that were still embedded in his arm. His arm hurt just as badly as his ribs. His ankle hurt as well. It was probably sprained and his head hurt quite a bit too. Maybe from when his head collided with the glass table when he tried to protect his already fractured ribs.

Ken tore his teary eyes away from his arm to stare at the beautiful oasis that Stingmon brought him to, which was supposed to have healing properties. _Where are we anyway?_ He wasn't sure if this was Server or Fire Island. Ken would never be fully conscious when Wormmon dragged him through the gate that he purposely kept open, bringing him to this healing oasis. Ken never questioned when his partner, like Tailmon, would be in his Adult form upon entering the Digital World.

Ken hated this. He hated the sinking feeling every time he saw his father. He hated the weakness that always accompanied him when he was injured. He especially hated the fact that he could never remember entering the Digital World until he was awakened by the stinging of the water touching the newest injury on his abused body.

Ken let out a weak groan as he rested his head against his partner. He hated feeling so weak. _How did things go so wrong?_ Ken childishly thought as he found himself wishing his mother never left. _Why?_ Ken must have thought that word a thousand times already. He was sure the others were starting to suspect something was terribly wrong, especially with the way he'd been unknowingly withdrawing from them. Both the Elder and Younger Chosen would always email him, trying to get him to confide in them, reminding him that they were there for him. Ken knew this. He knew that Daisuke, Takeru, and Iori had told the others the night after their sleepover. Ken hadn't been able to get comfortable due to the pain that wracked his body. His father had been firm in his reminder that he was a worthless piece of trash, just like his mother. Despite wanting to, Ken could never bring himself to email back, to tell the others the things his father were saying and doing to him. He was too ashamed to admit them.

It was frightening how everything went downhill once his mother left them. Ever since Osamu died, his parents always fought. Sometimes they would yell at each other. Other times they would not speak to each other for a few days before arguing again. But as the years went on, his parents' relationship had not improved. His parents had never been physical in their fights until four years ago.

His father had always been a drinker. How much he drank, resulted in how bad his temper would be. And he had been drinking more and more over the years. Ken had never seen his parents get physical with each other, but he would hear the things they would throw at each other and the words that would spill out of their mouths. By his mother's request, Ken had always found himself going to the Digital World or staying at one of the others' houses after school. His mother had only been trying to protect him. But then why did she leave one day without taking him with her? She must have had enough of the abuse and of her husband's drinking habits and violent temper, for when he returned home one morning, she was gone.

Ken tried to understand why she left. It was to get away from his father. But why did she leave him too? Did she really think he would be better off with his father? Ken wasn't sure, all he knew was that his father's temper had not improved within the past four months. On the contrary, it had gotten worse.

During the first three weeks, his father would stay at one of the bars all night, leaving Ken to fend for himself, coming home sometimes in the morning. That didn't bother him too much though. He was never close to his father, to begin with. Besides, the Motomiyas loved having him over. However, that was before his father turned his anger and frustrations on him.

It had all started when he was cleaning one of the vases his mother left behind. Ken hadn't been aware that his father had been watching him, hating him for sharing several of his mother's traits. The smell of his father's alcohol-laced breath was the only warning he had before the first punch went flying. The attack had been so unexpected that Ken had not been able to defend himself before he was rendered unconscious.

It had been Wormmon that found him when he returned from the Digital World. Unlike the other Digimon, Wormmon had been around for several centuries. Before becoming a Chosen Digimon, Wormmon had ruled alongside his older brother in the WWW Continent. Ken had never met him but heard that the 'mon was dying to meet him. But with the way his father kept attacking him, forcing Wormmon to drag him to the Digital World to get patched up, Ken felt that day would never come.

"Sorry." Ken had unknowingly made a weak whine as Stingmon shifted his body so that he could start cleaning the gash on his head. "I know it hurts, Ken-chan, just try to bear with me, okay?" Ken knew something was wrong when Stingmon sounded so far away, despite being mere inches away from him. "Ken-chan?"

Ken tried to respond, but he felt detached. He was floating, drifting away from the pain, from reality. "Ken! Ken!" He was completely unaware of the panic that filled his partner's being. "No! Stay with me, Ken!"

Despite how weak and tired he felt, Ken, found himself slowly opening his eyes as Stingmon's alarmed voice cut through the darkness that tried to engulf him. "Ken-chan,…please…don't leave me…"

 _Leave?_ Ken's thoughts felt sluggish as he tried to focus on his partner. The black dots that were creeping the corners of his vision and how Stingmon just got more blurrier as the darkness began to spread, should have told Ken that something was wrong. But Ken was too tired to notice. He just wanted to sleep.

"No! Don't fall asleep Ken!" Sleep sounded wonderful. Despite their own accord and to Stingmon's absolute horror, Ken's eyelids slowly began to close. "No! Ken! Ken!"

"STINGMON!"

"Phelesmon-oniisan…!" was the last thing he heard before he gave into the safety of the endless darkness


	2. A Brother's Comfort

Stingmon had always wanted to bring Ken to the kingdom of his birth. The Oasis City, deep within the WWW Continent, was a beautiful place, home to many noble and aristocratic Digimon throughout the continent. Long ago, before Ken was born, he governed the kingdom alongside his elder brother. But over the centuries, Stingmon had felt empty and lonely inside. Sure he had his brother, but his brother had been distracted with caring for the Digimon that thrived under them, especially with the Holy Beasts becoming less active in protecting them. There would be times in where Phelesmon would be held up at those meetings or in his study, or inspecting the progress of their citizens, leaving him alone to train the warriors guarding the continent. The need for a companion, something to live for, someone to cherish would become so great at times that he would find himself daydreaming and wishing as he gazed over the horizon.

And then one day the entity, Homeostasis, appeared to him when he was walking the grounds of the healing oasis. Homeostasis had told him of a Human Child, being born in the coming decades. The Child was destined to be a Chosen and the key to both worlds survival. But they needed a Digimon to be partnered with the child, one that would protect and cherish him. Stingmon had at first been shunned. Homeostasis expressed its concerns about the Holy Beasts being arrogant in their proceedings. Believing that they were better than the Digimon under them. It greatly angered Stingmon when he learned the Holy Beasts' plans of using Human Children to fight their battles, instead of dealing with Vamdemon and his overgrowing power and views that rivaled the Holy Beasts.

Despite that knowledge, Stingmon accepted the position. It was not because he wanted to help the Holy Beasts. Shakamon, no! He had his reasoning for accepting the position of a Chosen Digimon. Stingmon wanted the bond and closeness that came with being a Chosen Digimon. The rumors surrounding Human-Digimon partnership were very well known among the Digimon. These partnerships were said to be a lifelong spiritual and emotional bond. Their souls would be deeply intertwined, allowing a Digimon to sense their Human's emotions and to gain the power to evolve to unimaginable heights. Of course, a Human's life was short, but when the Human finally passed away the Human's soul would find its way back to the Digital World and be reborn as an Immortal Digital Entity, forever being with their Digimon partners.

And when Ken was finally born, Stingmon had felt the urge to protect him. His brother had understood his decision to leave, making him promise to visit, to tell him the tales of his adventures. When Stingmon finally met Ken for the first time, he adored the little boy. For the child seemed to fill the void that he had been feeling for centuries. Ken meant the world to him. So imagine his shock and worry when the child got hit by the Dark Seed and grew terribly ill.

It was on that night (when everyone was asleep) when Homeostasis appeared to him once again telling him of the Holy Beasts' plans. He had felt cold rage upon learning that the Holy Beasts knew of the Dark Seed's evil purpose. But the Holy Beasts feigned ignorance, opting to use the child to train the future Chosen who were to be picked to fight the coming threat. The return of Vamdemon was seen as a threat to their power. Favoring their power over the morals of using an unstable child, burdening him with so much suffering, greatly angered him.

The Kaiser would have just been the beginning of Ken's suffering.

It greatly amused him, how the Holy Beasts had overlooked the possibility of Vamdemon noticing the corruption dwelling within Ken. They must have been cursing at their stupidity as Vamdemon had Ken build the Dark Towers to seal the Holy Beasts' powers away. But it had been that action that forced the Holy Beasts to summon the new Chosen and to unknowingly guide them to the Digimentals.

Ken was merely a pawn in the greater scheme. Ken being the Kaiser was what made the Chosen come together to fight against his brainwashed friend. Stingmon had hated that he couldn't do anything to help his partner, for the Dark Tower and Ken's unwillingness to use him (mainly due to the Dark Seed) prevented him from evolving; and Ken, too warped by the corruption of the Dark Seed and by the influences of the Holy Beasts and Vamdemon, caused Ken to ignore and loathe him.

Stingmon hated the things Ken had to go through. He hated the fact that his sweet, gentle, kind-hearted partner had to suffer due to the Holy Beasts' arrogance and unwillingness to settle rivalries and problems themselves.

Phelesmon and the rest of the leaders had not been pleased when they got word of what had happened. But what could they do? It was for the greater good, the Holy Beast had said when Phelesmon, Holy Angemon, and Bastemon confronted Qinglongmon when he returned to his tower one day.

"Stingmon, calm down."

Greater good his ass.

"He'll be fine."

Sure, the threat to the Holy Beasts power was gone.

"Ken-kun is a strong kid."

So why was his partner still suffering?

"Stingmon…?"

Why was his partner forced to endure the verbal and physical attacks of his father? Why was he being treated like he was unimportant, unneeded, a waste of space? Why was his child forced to watch his life shatter right in front of his eyes?

Why had he not done something to prevent this?

"Stingmon, are you listening to me?"

Stingmon truly hated himself. He knew Ken was aware that what his father was doing was wrong. Ken was aware that he deserved to be treated better, that what his father was saying was lies, all lies. Yet, Ken would not fight back. He would not even tell the others what was going on. He would not run away to the Digital World, despite him begging. He would not fight back. Why would he not fight back?

"Digital World to Stingmon!"

That was a stupid question. He knew exactly why. Despite how grown up Ken acted and how fast he was forced to grow up, Ken was still just a child. A terrified child. Ken was a child that had been abandon by his mother (which had really scarred Ken emotionally). And, despite what Ken believed, was a victim of child abuse at the hands of his own father.

The very thought of that vile scumbag brought a boiling rage, one that he had not felt in decades, to the surface. How could Ken be expected to defend him from that overly violent, short-tempered, child beater, brainless, drunk-tard?!

"For Shakamon's sake, Stingmon! Get a grip on yourself before you destroy my castle!"

Stingmon blinked, realizing that he was five-seconds away from skewing the beams that held the floor above them in place with his spike. With a grunt of disgust at himself at his inability to control his temper, Stingmon retracted his spike and turned to face his brother. Phelesmon, a Fallen Angel Digimon, clad in black skin-like leather, was still seated on the gothic style sofa. Of course, this seemed to clash with the general layout and structure of the European style castle (that would have been similar to the castles built by the King of Bavaria back in the day), the Victorian style carpets and rugs, the paintings and moldings from the Edo and Shogun periods, and the modern day technology and appliances. Ken would have been fascinated by all of this. Ken's intellectual side would have surely been stroked and astounded by the different cultures integrated into one castle.

The mere thought of his partner further dampened his current mood.

"Stingmon, I know you're upset, but-"

Stingmon found himself narrowing his eyes at his elder brother. Phelesmon was what one would call the personification of the devil itself and had the attitude of a sane aristocrat, but he was just _too_ calm. Stingmon had not failed to notice that his brother had been just sitting, sipping the tangy, berry-like tea known as Tamaryokucha (that was Ken's favorite!), watching him pace around in the study as his anger and worry festered in his mind.

"How can you be so calm at a time like this?!" Stingmon could not contain his rage.

"Stingmon, you need to calm down," said Phelesmon as he calmly sipped his tea.

"Calm down?" Stingmon growled as he gestured to the archway that led to the hallway, adjutant to the room Ken was currently being treated in (which he had not been allowed to stay in). "Ken-chan is severely injured and possibly dying for all we know and all you can do is tell me to calm down!"

Phelesmon placed his teacup down on the elegant white Victorian tea table, sighing as he did so.

Stingmon knew he was being unfair. His brother had dropped everything he had been doing to help him when he sent that distressed call over Ken's D-Terminal. His brother had thankfully had Jijimon with him, allowing the elder Digimon to keep Ken stable enough until they were able to reach the castle. His brother even went as far as to ask the aid of Lady Bastemon, one of the other rulers of the neighboring kingdoms deep within the Stack Jungle, for one of her healers. His brother had done so much for him. He should be grateful to have such a wonderful brother.

"And what good would it do to be angry?" Stingmon did not respond. "It won't solve anything. It won't fix what has been done." Phelesmon stood up and made his way towards him, yellow eyes showing their concern and sympathy. "I understand what you are going through, but being angry won't help your partner. He's very vulnerable right now." Phelesmon placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "He needs you to be strong for him."

Stingmon felt something snap within him as anger overflowed his senses. "How can you possibly understand how I feel?" he asked, slapping Phelesmon's hand away. "You weren't there, Phelesmon-oniisan! You weren't there when I found Ken unconscious after I visited you! You weren't there when his father beats him or belittles him or treats him like he's trash! You weren't there when Ken cried himself to sleep and begs me to not get involved, fearing that the Human would harm me too!"

This wasn't right. He should not be fighting with his brother. But he just felt so angry. He was angry at Ken's mother for leaving without a trace. He was angry at the man that was the cause of Ken's pain and suffering. He was angry at Vamdemon and the Holy Beasts for using his child for their own selfish gain. He was angry at Homeostasis for not interfering when it knew what would happen to his child. But most of all, he was angry at himself.

"You don't know what its like to see Ken constantly suffering! You don't know what its like to see him slowly shattering in front of my eyes!" Stingmon balled his fists as he threw his frustrations and fears at his brother, unaware that his words were cutting his brother's heart like butter. "Ken was my responsibility! He's my partner, my best friend! For the greater good or not, I shouldn't have let the Holy Beasts, nor Belial Vamdemon, did as they wished with him!" The wall cracked under his fist as he slammed his fist on the wall. "I failed him! I should have protected him better!"

Stingmon sighed heavily as the anger all but drained from his body. He slumped against the wall, staring over his brother's shoulder to gaze at the samurai modeling and paintings that coated the edges of the walls and ceiling.

"Maybe you're right. Maybe you should have protected him better." Stingmon felt his heart cringe painfully in his chest as he returned his gaze to his brother. Phelesmon was normally a very calm Digimon and usually never allowed himself to act out on his anger. However, it seemed Stingmon had managed to strike a nerve deep enough to cause his calm facade to finally crumble.

Phelesmon stared back at him, his eyes blazing and his voice shaking with shock and disbelief. His brother's face was twisted in pain, making Stingmon realize that he hadn't exactly told his brother what had been going on back in the Human World and just how badly he must have hurt his brother. Oh, this was bad.

"The Holy Beasts are arrogant fools, using children for their own selfish agenda…" Phelesmon took a deep breath and slowly let it out. Phelesmon didn't raise his voice, nor did he yell. He was trying to stay very calm in this tense, fragile situation. Phelesmon never did like fighting with him anyway. "But do you really think I don't know what it's like to have someone I care for to be constantly suffering?" Phelesmon didn't give him time to respond. "To have someone I care for go off to another continent, thousands of miles away, knowing he would be in danger and not be able to do anything about it? To have your soul feel like it's shattering in two when the one you care for dies?" Stingmon's eyes widened as his brother spoke in a calm, shaky voice. Phelesmon was talking about him. "Do you truly think I don't know how it feels to be scared half to death, knowing that you are out there fighting the Holy Beasts' battles, not knowing if you will ever return?"

Stingmon found himself at a loss for words. His brother had never been one to express his fears or personal feelings. He would express his concerns, yes (never personal, though). And not with the intensity that he was expressing now and those concerns would more directly concern the 'mons that lived within his kingdom and the treaty and politics he had with the neighboring kingdoms. Stingmon tried to find a word to respond to his brother, but the guilt that replaced the anger (that had been festering within him for several hours now) held him back. What could he possibly say now, after blowing up at his brother like that?

"Stingmon," Phelesmon spoke in a softer tone. His voice breaking slightly as a chuckle escaped his lip (that seemed to be mixed with a half sob), his eye glistening with unshed tears. "You mean the world to me. Knowing that you are out there on Server or on Fire Island, risking your life, battling those conceited, patronizing Holy Beasts' battles, scares me."

Stingmon found himself stunned. Phelesmon was scared? He wasn't supposed to be scared.

"Believe me, I know what you are going through. I feel that same way every day when you are out there fighting."

"Oniisan…"

"I'm scared too, you know?" Phelesmon gave him a pained smile, one that showed how much he was hurting. "Knowing that someone that I see as a baby brother is being greatly abused…" Stingmon's eyes widened on their own accord. Phelesmon had never met Ken before, only knew from what he told him when he visited. Yet, Phelesmon saw Ken as a member of their family, a second brother. "I know it's hard." Phelesmon grounded his shoulders, smiling reassuringly at him, as he regained his composure. "But, Ken will not die. Jijimon, Marin Angemon, Cutemon, and Sorcerimon will not allow it."


	3. The Void of Darkness

Why was he always alone?

Was it because of the things he did as the Kaiser? Was it because of all the Digimon he'd killed and harmed? Was it because of that selfish wish that took his brother away? Or was it because fate finally realized that he was too corrupted by Darkness, too damaged by its influence, and unworthy to be one with the Light.

"That's not true." Ken opened his eyes into the dark void to see two figures: a small boy around the age of six and the Digimon Kaiser. Ken studied the young boy for a moment, realizing that it was him; they both were. "Mama and Papa cares about us and so does Oniichan."

The Kaiser scoffed. "Please, the only thing those insects care about is themselves. Don't you remember how much they neglected us until you started being like Onnichan."

Despite how much he didn't want to, the Kaiser was right. His parents never truly cared about him. They would neglect him, favoring Osamu over him, and tended to forget he was there whenever his bother was around. And when his brother died, they still didn't acknowledge him. At least not until after he starting trying to be just like his older brother, showing that he was a genius too. They still had a son they could be proud of. Ken's bottom lip trembled slightly.

"But...but...what about Mama?" Young Ken asked. "She took us to see that movie and to get us ice cream."

"True," the Kaiser said as Ken looked up, looking hopeful that there was someone out there that cared for him. "But then again she only did that because Osamu wanted to go with you. She would not have gone if it hadn't been for him." Ken looked at his hands and Younger Ken looked distressed.

"But..but..."

"Oh, won't you give up! They don't care about us!"

Ken closed his eyes and thought about his parents, fearing that the Kaiser was right. He remembered when he was younger that it had always been Osamu that attended one of his events at school. It had always been him that took him to the park to play or to get ice cream. His parents never bothered unless Osamu said something.

 _They don't care. Wouldn't they have noticed something was wrong when I was depressed or when the Dark Seed started to take over?_

They never did notice that. They never noticed his depression when Osamu died. They never noticed when he had been bullied at school or when he just wanted his parents to notice him. They never notice something was wrong with their youngest when he began distancing himself from them. They never did notice when he ran away until several days later.

That was when they came to their senses. They hadn't realized anything was wrong until he left. Why did it take him being infected by the Dark Seed, becoming the Digimon Kaiser, for them to notice how much he needed them?

"WORMMON DOES!"

"Wormmon," Ken spoke silently into the darkness. Not realizing when the two figures began to fade away. Ken couldn't remember anything beyond the point of him dying in his arms. "He's gone. I killed him. My fault."

Why was he always losing people? He lost Osamu. Wormmon. And now his mother.

Osamu died because of his selfish wish.

Wormmon died because of him.

And his mother left him because...

Ken couldn't understand why his mother left, nor why his father was so horrible to him. He hadn't done anything to him, had he? He had made sure everything was clean and made sure all the chores were done. He hadn't done anything disrespectful. So what did he do that was so bad?

 _Mama, why?_ Ken tasted the salty liquid before he realized what they were. _Why?_ Ken stared into the darkness, wondering why over and over again. The tears continued to fall as he thought about his mother, about the pain of her abandoning him and leaving him with his father.

"Ken-chan..."

Ken didn't lift up his head at the voice. He was sure he was imagining it. There was no way anyone wanted him. His brother was dead, protecting him from that car that had run a red light. His Digimon was gone after sacrificing himself for him. His mother was gone, abandoning him and must likely hating him, just like his father. And he was sure the others wouldn't care if he was gone.

Maybe it was best if he just disappeared.

"Ken-chan...can you hear me?"

Ken curled up around himself as that thought swirled in his mind. He had made that wish before. He had wanted his brother to disappear and he had. He hadn't meant to. He had just been angry, that's all. But fate had listened to him and had taken his brother away. Ken floated deeper into the darkness, unaware of the danger he was in.

"Ken-chan, please, please, come back to me!"

The voice sounded familiar like he knew this person. But why would someone want him to come back and from where? Why was he crying? He was a horrible person. No one wanted him. He should just disappear like everyone wanted. This person should want him gone too! But instead, he was crying, begging for him to return from...somewhere..."Ken! Ken!"

"Ken-kun," there was a new voice then as he floated deeper and deeper into the darkness, "please, you must come back." _Why?_ he thought as he lifted up his head and gazed into the darkness, only to see a small ball of light where the other versions of himself had once been. "I know it must be hard to understand, but there are 'mons that care about you, that want you to live and fight against the pain and suffering and go past it."

The light grew brighter and the darkness seemed to fade away slowly. "Ken-chan, I love you so much! It's my fault your suffering so much! I should have taken better care of you! I should have protected you better!" The dark space he had been in grew lighter and lighter and for the first time, Ken felt something warm caressing his cheek. "I swear to you that I will be a better partner. I will protect you better, no matter what Homeostasis or the Holy Beasts say. But you have to fight. You have to wake up. Please."

"W...Worm...mon..." Ken heard Wormmon gasp first before he saw him. It took a long time for his vision to become less fuzzy and to adjust to the dimly lit lighting in the room. But when he did, Ken realized that he had no idea where he was and that Wormmon was crying.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Wormmon clung to him as he sobbed in relief, but he couldn't understand why. Why was Wormmon crying? What was going on? Where was he?

Ken grunted weakly, terribly confused and unsure what was going on. "You gave us quite a scare, little one."

Ken blinked slowly as another Digimon entered his line of vision. Ken frowned as he tried to focus his gaze on the Digimon. Ken couldn't recall if he had met this Digimon before. He didn't look familiar at all and he didn't even know the other's name. Thankfully, he didn't have too.

"Oh, Ken-chan, I was so worried! You wouldn't wake up for three whole days and...and...the others asked about you and...and...I had to tell them what happened...everyone was so worried..." Wormmon babbled as he sobbed; before he could say anything, Wormmon continued, "but Oniisan kept telling me not to worry and that you just needed the time to heal...and that I had to be strong for you...and...and...he's okay, Oniisan! He's okay!"

If Ken hadn't been so tired and weak, he would have pulled his silly little bug into a huge hug and reassure him that he was worrying for nothing and that he wasn't going anywhere. But Ken was tired. He was so weak and so numb that he couldn't grasp what was happening. But he did understanding one thing. He had been so close to death, so close to giving up. Wormmon had been terrified.

Ken's vision began to blur once again and his bottom lip began to tremble as tears threatened to fall. "Hey," Phelesmon spoke so very gently to him as he wiped away the tears with his thumb. "It's okay now. You're safe now and that all that matters." Phelesmon smiled at him as he comforted both him and his younger brother. After what felt like hours of Phelesmon and Wormmon telling him stories of their youth and of them helping him drink a bit of water and some food, Ken soon found himself unable to keep his eyes open any longer.

"Rest easy now, Ken-kun," Phelesmon said gently as he gently tucked the blanket around with Wormmon resting protectively by his side. " You are safe here." Ken smiled, feeling safe as he closed his eyes

"Is it okay for him to sleep?" Wormmon asked suddenly. "Aren't people with concussions not supposed to sleep?"

"Ken's out of the wood for now," Phelesmon said reassuringly. "He's not in any immediate danger."

"So, he's safe, then," Wormmon sighed in relief as he snuggled closer to him, making himself comfortable.

"Yes," Phelesmon said, "but I'm going to have Cutemon and Jijimon to continue monitoring him just in case." Ken was only vaguely aware of Wormmon nodding to his brother and of Phelesmon telling Wormmon that he would finally allow the other Chosen to visit (one at a time). By the time Phelesmon left the room, returning with Daisuke and V-mon, Ken was already deep within the folds of a peaceful, dreamless sleep.


	4. New Family, New Problems

Ken never realized how badly he was affected by his father's horrible treatment until after he was taken away from his father by Social Services and sent to a temporary shelter. The time he spent at the temporary shelter before being adopted by the Minamotos had done nothing to calm his anxiety and fears. Ken may have only been there for a month or two at most, but the place scared him greatly.

Ken barely interacted with the other kids that lived at the place and was glad none of them sought the need to converse with him. The number of kids and adults surrounding him was enough to make him want to cringe and flinch. The place had the majority of the kids in rooms that fit ten kids each. Ken had been lucky to be in a room with one other, a boy around the age of seventeen. Ken had stayed in his corner, constantly worrying if he was going to be harmed. He had no access to a computer, so going to Stingmon and Phelesmon for protection had been impossible.

Ken had not been happy about that, especially when he would be forced to attend therapy. It was unfortunate that his therapist had been a middle-aged man with neat short blond hair and hazel eyes. Ken had loathed being alone with the man as he tried to get him to open up and finally begin to heal. Just thinking about the older man made Ken wish the gates to the Digital World were open. The gates had, unexpectedly, closed while he was stuck at the shelter.

Ken found himself glancing nervously around as his adoptive parents drove down the busy street of Minato. It would be another fifteen minutes before they reach the building that his new therapist worked at. Sanya and Jurou Minamoto had noticed right away that Ken had not been comfortable with the male therapist. And the therapist had not been very gentle when talking to Ken about his fears and anxiety. Due to this, they had decided to take him to a female therapist who specialized in child abuse. Ken had only met the woman once when she was doing an evaluation on him. She seemed nice enough. But this didn't stop Ken from worrying about his first appointment.

"Are you sure this is okay?" Ken had been worrying over the fact that this wasn't a one-on-one session with his new therapist. It was a group family session, meaning his parents and stepbrother would be attending the session with him. Ken felt guilty that his parents had to take the day off from work and that his stepbrother had to skip practice to attend a two-hour session with him.

Upon hearing his nervous inquire, the two adults gazed at each other in uncertainty. They had been trying to reassure Ken for the past three days now, but nothing they said seemed to ease his anxiety.

Next, to him, Takumi Kanbara paused in his rambling about the latest Dragon Quest game that had just come out. The elder, sensing Ken's anxiety, had been filling the air with about anything that popped into his mind, everything from the latest game to the final score on TV on the Sports Channel, in hopes of distracting his younger brother from his fears. Guess his plan didn't work all that well. With a quick glance to his adoptive mother, Takumi turned his gaze to his younger brother.

Never in his dreams had he thought he would ever be adopted. Takumi had been in the shelter for years before Ken came along and, at one point, he believed he wouldn't get out until he became of age (being considered no longer a child) to leave on his own. However, that changed when Ken came along. The boy had been assigned to be in his room. Takumi had noticed right away how scared and nervous he was. Takumi had seen the bruises and bandages on Ken's body and arms. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the poor kid had been abused. The night terrors and gossips from the nurses confirmed what he suspected.

While at the shelter, Ken would be withdrawn and would constantly look over his shoulder. It was as if he was afraid that someone was going to harm him, again. That had really struck a chord within him. Takumi had once had a younger sibling before she got killed in a car accident, along with his parents. When he saw Ken, however, Takumi felt the long-buried need to comfort the younger, to protect him. It had been subtle at first and only grew in its intensity after Ken awakens from a nightmare the first night he was there. It had been hard getting Ken to trust him enough to comfort him. But once he did, the two of them grew close. It was like nothing could separate them.

"Hey…" Amethyst orbs shifted away from his lap to gaze up at him. Takumi placed a comforting hand on Ken's knee that had been jumping slightly in his anxiety. Ken stiffened a little at the contact before relaxing. "There's nothing to be afraid of." Takumi tucked a blue strand behind Ken's ear. "Everything is going to be just fine."

Ken bit his lip in uncertainty. "But…what about your practice, Oniisan?" Amber orbs softened. Of course, his younger brother would be worried about that. It was so like him.

"Sensei would understand," Takumi said reassuringly as he attempted to still Ken's knee. "Besides, you are more important."

A flicker of shock appeared within those amethyst colored orbs. Takumi watched silently as amethyst colored orbs flickered to the two adults that had been rather quiet throughout the entire conversation.

"Ken, dear, if we have to go all the way to Minato to see this therapist, then so be it." The Russian-Japanese woman smiled at the two in reassurance. "We just want you to feel safe again."

"She right," Jarou said as he stared at the road in front of him. "We would do anything for you."

Ken let out a long sigh, seeming somewhat better. Takumi smiled as he hugged his brother, giving whatever comfort he could from the action.

Sanya and Jurou gave each other a small smile. It seemed adopting both Ken and Takumi was the best decision after all, despite what was said in the elder boy's file. Takumi was what Ken needed to fully heal, given time.


	5. Reunion

_I wonder how everyone is doing._ Three years have come and gone since that dreadful day, so much so that Ken found himself reflecting on the past with a mixture of emotions he had not felt in years. For the past three years, Ken hadn't thought about his friends and how worried they must be, hadn't thought about his partner, Wormmon, nor his brother, Phelesmon, and how they were doing in the Digital World. For the longest time, since his mother abandoned him to his fate, all that had invaded his mind was fear; fear and anxiety. Fear that his father one day being released from prison to torment him as he promised would and the fear of meeting his mother again after all this time and having her reject him, reopening wounds that had just finally begun to heal.

Ken was beyond grateful that the Minamotos and his new brother, Takumi, were so very patient with him. They had been with him every step of the way as he went through the constant rollercoaster of anxiety, depression, flashbacks, and night terrors. Ken honestly felt guilty that they had been spending all their time on him, instead of concentrating on themselves. But they were family. Family helped each other out through thick and thin.

For the first time in years, Ken allowed himself to smile. Ken couldn't remember how many times he had been told those words as he was going through a panic attack or when he woke up from an instance nightmare. Ken knew he was in safe hands, but the fear had always come in the way. It was always those reseasons why he had been too afraid to look at his D-Terminal or to answer the phone when his friends called.

Ken sighed from his position on his bed as he rested his chin on his knees. _It sure has been a long time since I've talked to the others._ Three years to be exact. Ken turned his gaze to his nightstand, where several picture frames were proudly displayed. There were five pictures in total. One of them was group pictures of him and the others after they defeated Belial Vamdemon. Ken, along with Daisuke, Hikari, Takeru, Miyako, and Iori, were holding their Baby Digimon as they stood next to each other, while Taichi and his group stood behind them. Taichi had both of his arms wrapped around his and Daisuke's shoulders, while Yamato stood calmly next to him. Sora and Mimi were behind Miyako, with both of their hands resting on Miyako's shoulders, and finally, Koushiro and Jou were standing behind Iori. They had all been smiling as Gennai took their picture. That truly been a wonderful day.

Next to that picture, was a photograph that Gennai had given him on that day. That picture still brought him to tears as he remembered everything. All the memories that had been locked away, all the memories of the battles they have faced against Millenniumon, all the nights of closeness and semi-peace as they slept in a cave or in a secluded forest. _Ryo._ Ken smiled sadly at the old picture of him, Ryo, V-mon, and Wormmon. Gennai had explained everything that day, everything from the purpose of the Dark Seed, to what happened at the D-Tournament, to why he had to become the Kaiser.

Daisuke, Miyako, Iori, Hikari, and Takeru had been angered on his behalf, while Taichi and the others looked away in shame. They hadn't even realized that the little boy that had fought with Ryo, that had been his best friend and constant support, was him. They said he had looked familiar. They hadn't wanted to believe that the two were one and the same. They hadn't wanted to admit that they had allowed one of their own to be taken from them so easily, even though Taichi and Yamato had made a promise to Ryo that they would look after him before he left to face Millenniumon once and for all. They never did. He had no one to protect him when darkness called.

He probably shouldn't have forgiven them so easily. He didn't blame them for anything, however. It may have been their fault that he had lost his one and only friend that day. It may have been their fault that they had failed to protect a fellow Chosen, one of their own from the clutches of darkness, with him falling down the dark path that had been laid out for him. But instead of hating them and yelling at them for all the pain and suffering he had gone through, he forgave them. Because...well, because they were his friends. It might have resulted in him being the Kaiser, but they came to him in the end. They saved him from himself and returned him to the light. They made him see that he was not alone anymore, that he had others to rely on, that light (no matter how big or how small or how long it took) would always prevail over darkness.

And in a way, they were right, despite the suffering he had gone through after that day, despite being separated from his friends, from his Digimon, from his mother, despite the nightmares, the fear, and the abuse, he was finally him again. He wasn't completely healed. Ken doubted he would ever be; he would never be whole, but he was close and that was good enough.

Ken smiled once more as he released his arms from their tight grip around his knees. He shifted his gaze to the last three photos. One was of Stingmon and Phelesmon, the second was of Osamu, and the last was of his friend and neighbor, Kimura Tsubasa. Ken silently picked up the photograph of this partner and his brother. Daisuke had taken this long ago when he found out about of all the horrible things he had gone through at home. After that day, Daisuke had given it to him as a gift before he had been taken away from his father, hoping it would comfort him and remind him that he was never along.

Ken gently ran his finger through their features, silently wondering if the two Digimon missed him. And as he thought that, Ken knew they did. There would be many times where he could feel Stingmon next to him. He could something hear a faint voice, helping him as he went through several of his panic attacks throughout the years. He was sure Stingmon could feel his distress, despite being a whole other world away, and was able to use their bond to reach him.

Ken closed his eyes with sigh as he hugged the photograph. He missed his partner dearly (more so now than ever) and genuinely felt guilty for not thinking about him, nor the others sooner.

"Hey, buddy. You okay in there?" Ken guilty opened his eyes as he heard a knock on the door before his brother poked his head through the half-open door. Ken had felt different this morning when he woke up. He felt livelier, so much more hopeful, and so much more energetic. It had been something he had not felt in a long, long time.

"Y-yeah..." Ken vaguely wondered why his head was so clearer. For once he actually wanted to smile, to laugh, to scream of pure joy. He wanted to open up his desk drawer, pull out his D-Terminal, open it up and email all his friends for the first time in years. Forget the D-Terminal! He wanted to call them, laugh with them, joke with them! "I'm okay, Oniisan." There were so many things he wanted to do, so many things that fear and depression had held him back from.

"You sure?" Takumi asked as he took a seat next to him. "You've been in your room all morning. Sanya-san was worried you were having another panic attack when you didn't come out for lunch." Ken looked at his hands guiltily. To be honest, he really hadn't heard her. He hadn't realized he had been thinking for so long.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you and Mama," Ken mumbled softly. "I just had a lot on my mind."

Takumi gently pocked the side of his temple lightly. "Saito-san said you had to write those thoughts into that journal of yours." Ken pulled his knees close to his body so he could hug them once again.

"I know," Ken mumbled, less audibly this time. On their second meeting, his therapist had pointed out right away that he kept too much inside. Ken was more than positive Daisuke would have agreed with the female therapists on her assessment of him. She had gently, yet bluntly, pointed out that it was not healthy for him, nor for his recovery. So she had recommended that he writes all his thoughts down. No one would see. No one would read it. But it served as an outlet for him to let out his emotions. Ken had to admit it did help him. There would be days where he felt so afraid that he would write everything from his father one day coming after him to his days as the Kaiser. Though, his fears of rejection, abuse, and abandonment were more evident in the twelve leather bond journals then his guilt of his Kaiser days.

Recently, however, Ken began writing about his friends, his partner, Wormmon, and Phelesmon and how much he missed them. That had been this morning and he had been in his room going over the several letters and emails (that Takumi had personally printed out for him) that the others had sent to him over the years. The thick binder laid on his desk, opened to one of the letters Daisuke had written to him last year. In the letter, Daisuke had been expressing his dislike that Takeru and Hikari were pretending they didn't like each other, even though it was so obvious they liked each other. Although, that could have been because she had rejected him when Daisuke asked her out a week before the letter was dated on the letter.

"And?" his adoptive brother asked as his eyes drifted to the open binder that Ken was staring blankly at. He blinked before returning his attention to him. "You've been reading through it." His brother didn't form it as a question, but Ken knew what he was asking. His brother had created that binder for him, so that one day when he was ready to read them, they were there.

Ken nodded. "Yeah, I...I felt different this morning. I started thinking about the others a lot. And Wormmon and his brother..." Ken rested his chin on his knees. "I began to wonder: why? Why haven't I stayed in contact with them? Why have I been avoiding them all this time? Certainly, all they wanted to do was help me."

Takumi remained silent as Ken talked. Rubbing his back as he silently listened to his brother. If Ken hadn't been so deep in his thoughts, he probably would have noticed a figure, or two, or three near the door. As well as his brother mouthing something towards the partially half-opened door. "This is great news!" His brother said, pulling him closer to his body.

Ken turned his gaze towards his brother in confusion. "What you mean, 'this is great news'? I didn't even think about them once...to...to caught up in my own pain...to...to realize what was going on," Ken's voice rose a bit as it shook with suppressed tears. "I'm a horrible, horrible friend! I don't deserve them!"

"That's not true, Ken!" There was a new voice, a familiar voice. It sounded like...

"Daisuke!" came a female voice from outside his door.

"Ow!"

Ken blinked his eyes to clear his blurry vision. "So much for the surprise," a younger voice said just as Ken turned his gaze toward the door. Ken gasped as he caught sight of who was outside his bedroom door. Smiling sheepishly as he rubbed his head was his best friend, Motomiya Daisuke, with an annoyed Inoue Miyako and a sighing Hida Iori.

"Daisuke-kun? Miyako-chan? Iori-kun?" The three walked into the room with birthday present clearly seen in their hands. Ken then turned to his brother. "How? What?" It was Takumi's turn to look sheepish.

Takumi rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. "Well, you see...you've been doing so well over the last couple of months. And this is not just from the therapy sessions, but I could see it too. I could see that you were slowly getting past the nightmares and the fear. You're not getting as many panic attacks and you are not as withdrawn as you used to be." Ken nodded as he listened. His brother was right. He had been getting better, he guessed. He was thinking more clearly now; the fog of fear and depression was not constantly on his mind. He was sleeping more at night then waking up from bad dreams. He was now able to tell when he was about to get a panic attack and, sometimes, he's able to push it down before it slams into him. And the panic attacks didn't come very often.

Takumi hugged his brother a little bit more as Daisuke placed his present on Ken's desk before taking a seat next to him. "We understand, Ken. You've been through so much. So much so that I wish I could have helped you with."

"Not just him," Miyako said with a watery smile. "We all wanted to help. It hurt when you were taken away from us. We feared we would never see you again."

"It didn't help that you were so mentally unstable and so out of our reach either." Ken flinched slightly at that. "But we are glad you have finally come back to us," Iori said with a smile that was just as watery.

"Rather you knew it or not, you needed your friends,"Takumi said with a smile. "I know you told me you didn't want anything for your birthday. You never do, but I figured that more than anything you needed your friends. So I thought I would surprise you." Takumi looked at the other three Chosen before saying, lamely, "Surprise." Takumi's smile was big and wide, but it did seem nervous when Ken didn't say anything and just stood still, clutching the small photograph of his Digimon in his hands as his eyes slowly shifted from him to his friends to back to him. "Maybe this was a bad idea," Takumi said, not liking the reaction he was getting or the lack of one.

"Ken, are you okay?" Daisuke gently placed a hand on Ken's shoulder, concerned evident on his features, and only pulled back when Ken began to cry, throwing his arms around his brother's shoulder.

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you," Ken sobbed into his brother shirt as his brother returned the hug.

"Your welcome." The two of them probably would have stayed like that forever if Takumi's cell phone hadn't rung at that moment. Takumi pulled back enough for him to get his cell phone and glance at the screen. "Sorry, buddy, I have to take this."

"To talk to Neechan, perhaps," Daisuke snickered next to them. Takumi chose to ignore the comment as he released Ken from the hug, leaving him with his friends as he took the call in the hall. _Oniisan and Motomiya-chan? Who would have thought?_ Before Ken could ponder anymore on those thoughts, Daisuke threw his arms around him, pulling him into a huge hug. "I missed you so much, dude! Life's not the same without ya!"

"I missed you guys too." Ken returned the hug, smiling through his tears as Iori and Miyako abandoned their presents to join in on the hug.

"We missed you so much," Miyako said next, "but don't you dare think for a minute that we could ever hate you just because you haven't stayed in contact with up within the last three years.

"She right," Iori said next. "We understand that we weren't the first thing that popped into your mind when you were going through your panic attacks and other issues. We are grateful for Kanbara-san keeping us updated on your condition every day, though. It really did help us stay hopeful throughout the years. We knew you would come back to us. We just had to wait."

Ken wiped his face with his sleeve as the four of them stayed like that, hugging each other, comforting each other for all the time they had lost and for the pain Ken had to go through. This truly had been the best birthday ever. If only Wormmon was here.

As they pulled away, Ken noticed that there were five gifts. "Hikari-chan and Takeru wanted us to tell you that they're sorry for not being able to come," Miyako said, who frowned slightly. "They missed you too, even if they seemed to have moved on to other things."

Ken frowned. Were the others not as close anymore? Were they distant? "Is everything okay back at home?" Ken asked them, noticing the way the others were looking at each other.

"Kinda," Miyako replied. "Hikari-chan and Takeru-kun are dating now."

"But we don't see them as much anymore," Iori said with a sigh.

"A lot has changed since you've left, Ken-kun," Daisuke said as he stretched his arms above his head. There was something more going on between their friends, but it seemed they didn't want to talk about it. "But enough about us, you got presents to open!"

Ken chuckled at Daisuke enthusiasm and watched as his best friend gathered all the presents and placed them on the bed. "First things first," Miyako interrupted. "Taichi-kun request."

"Oh, right," Daisuke said slightly disappointed when Miyako took one of the gifts out of his heads. "Taichi-senpai was hoping you would want to attend his game tomorrow."

Ken smiled as he gently took the gift from Miyako's hands. "I'd love to."

Just as he said those words their digivices began going off. Ken blinked as he glanced at his D-3 that he had clipped to his belt. The D-3 was vibrating, giving off an odd familiar heat. _Wormmon?_

"What going on?" Iori asked, puzzled.

"Ken-kun, look! Your computer!" Ken blinked as Miyako pointed to his computer which had awoken from its sleeping state. An odd code was displayed on the screen, trinary code if he was guessing right.

"What in the world?" The computer screen glowed brightly. The four of them hadn't known what to expect as they felt a familiar pulling sensation. Though, it did catch them all by surprise. Their screams had caused his brother, his parents, Tsubasa and even Daisuke's half-sister (who had been waiting in the living room, wanting to give the four friends some time alone) to run to their aid. The last thing Ken saw before being pulled through a Digital Gate was the fear written on his brother's features.

"KEN!"


	6. Reboot

"What in hell are Yggdrasill and Homeostasis up to now?!" Lady Bastemon growled softly under her breath in frustration as she sat next to him, not wanting to wake the sleeping children. It had been a long stressful day for all of them. The day had started out like any other day, with fear and panic. Something truly odd was wrong with the Digital World; a strange illness had traveled across the Digital World, making even the most peaceful of Digimon to go wilded and attack mindlessly. And it had all started with the closing of the Digital Gates between the two worlds.

The closing of the gates was only supposed to be temporary, as a means to help the Digital World heal from the damaged caused by Belial Vamdemon and his allies. The Human, Oikawa, energy had not been enough to heal what had been tainted by the Vampire. But something had gone wrong. Digimon had begun growing ill. Gennai had disappeared, only to come back two years later, a different man and spreading rumors of the destruction of the Human World, the true enemy. Data Errors began appearing all over the Digital World, causing the Digimon to become either ill or disappear. And then there was the Libra.

Phelesmon narrowed his eyes as he thought. The Libra was at the center of all their problems, but he could not decide if it was the cause or merely a victim, a pawn, of a greater scheme. Based on various rumors from his scouts, the Libra had unknown destructive powers, enhanced by the rage and anger from either pain or fear, both mental and physical.

 _This is bad._

Phelesmon remembered seeing the Digimon through a distortion that had briefly appeared outside the barrier of his kingdom when he and the other monarchs had been escorting the unaffected Digimon into the safety within the borders of his kingdom. He had seen the Libra and many of the Chosen Digimon fighting other Digimon that entered the Human World through the distortions. But what truly worried him was the countdown clearly visible in the sky now. He hoped the barrier surrounding his kingdom would keep them safe from whatever the countdown was supposed to do, if not for him then for the four injured children in his care.

"I don't know, but we must be prepared," Phelesmon said as his eyes lingered on the two sleeping children. Phelesmon had been more than a little grateful that he found the children when he did. Distortions had been appearing all over the Digital World, allowing Digimon to be in one continent one minute and then another the next. Phelesmon personally felt it was fate coming into play when a distortion opened up to one of the many deserts of Server. Distortions of other parts of the Digital World tended to stay open anywhere between two to fifteen minutes. Thankfully, the distortion had stayed open long enough for him and the other monarchs to jump into the distortion to save the children.

Phelesmon still felt sick watching the death of his brother and the empty hole in his chest wasn't any better. Before he could seek his vengeance on Yggdrasill's Royal Knight, the other disappeared through a distortion that had appeared right under him, along with Gennai, who had been hovering over Ken's unconscious body with something in his hand. Phelesmon wasn't sure if he should have been relieved or enraged by that fact. Probably, enraged. Yeah, definitely that. The children's D-3s and D-Terminals were damaged, except for Ken's (whose was stolen). If he ever ran into the Royal Knight or Gennai ever again, he was going to rip their DigiCore right out of their chest and watch them die in agony.

Phelesmon rubbed his brother's DigiTama absently, hoping beyond hope that he would hatch soon. Ken needed his partner to heal; he was sure of it. And he needed his brother too. He was the oldest. Despite not being able to evolve to Ultimate, it was his job to protect both of his brothers. They shouldn't have been alone, facing the Royal Knight in an unwinnable battle.

Phelesmon sighed as he closed his eyes. _What could I have done? Stingmon is stronger and wiser than me._ Phelesmon didn't envy his brother for how strong he had grown with his partner. He didn't envy his brother for caring about his human partner more than anything in the world. He was happy for his brother, relieved that he had found his calling, even if it was in the hands of those stupid gods. But that didn't make the sliver rage and hatred disappear any time soon.

If anyone were to ask, he would deny it. But to himself...if he were truly honest...he hated himself. _I should have been there. I should have protected them from this cruelty._ This wasn't the first time he wished this. He so wanted to help his brothers and protect them from everything. _Who am I kidding? I would just get in the way._ Phelesmon's hand tightened around the strange device that had appeared when he retrieved Ken from the desert. _Is this really all I can do? Sit here and hope..._ Phelesmon did go to the Village of Beginnings with Queen Chessmon, but that had been an adventure of its own.

Fire Island had not been saved from the corruption that affected the Digital World. Digimon that got close to the Data Error would go crazy, haywire, attacking both enemy and friend alike. Many Infected Digimon even entered through distortions that took them to the Human World. Although, the main damaged seemed to center around Server.

But that didn't bother him as much as it should. What truly bothered him...what truly enraged him was the sight of Gennai turning into the Kaiser, a fourteen-year-old version of his beloved little brother. Phelesmon had to contain his anger when he saw Gennai instructing several of those mindless Digimon to attack the Village of Beginnings and the DigiTamas when they arrived. Leomon and several others had protected them bravely and honorably.

Phelesmon honestly wished he had stayed to fight those cowards (especially Gennai), but as Queen Chessmon reminded him, they had four DigiTamas to retrieve and protect. They had not been the only ones wanting those DigiTamas. Phelesmon still had that terrible, heart-wrenching ache in his chest. What would have happened if he hadn't gotten to his brother in time? Phelesmon protectively held his brother's DigiTama a bit more firmly in his arms. What would have Gennai done if he had been able to find his brother's DigiTama?

He sighed. Finding his brother's DigiTama hadn't really been that hard. They were siblings, sharing the same genetic code within them. He would always be able to find his brother, no matter where he was, and it did help that his brother's DigiTama had been far away from the battle and with the other three Chosen Digimon that had fallen in battle. The four DigiTamas had all been together, which made the search all that much easier. And the shock, enraged, look 'Gennai' had on his features when they left the village with the DigiTamas firmly in their arms was so worth it.

Phelesmon rested his head on the wall, only vaguely notice Lady Bastemon getting up to check on Miyako and Iori, who were in another room with their partners, attempting to fix their D-3s and D-Terminals. _Why? Why did this have to happen?_ Why, indeed. Why had a Royal Knight harmed the Chosen? They were their protectors, their saviors. They were the ones that saved them from Vamdemon when they couldn't. They were the ones that saved them from Devimon when they couldn't. They were the ones that saved them from the Dark Masters, Vamdemon again, Demon, and Apocalymon. The Royal Knights weren't there to protect them from the evils of this world. It was the children. The same children that Yggdrasill and Gennai wanted to destroy, along with the Human World.

But why? Why bring them here? Why not just attack them while they were in their own world? The humans did not have the means to protect themselves against among Digimon. None of this made any sense! But what was truly confusing was Alphamon. He frowned as yellow eyes gazed out the window, where the countdown could clearly be seen. _Why did Alphamon attack them?_ He would have understood if it was Craniummon, Dynasmon, or even Lord Knightmon. They followed Yggdrasill faithfully. However, Alphamon was different. He was the oldest of the Royal Knights, the supposed leader, the aloof hermit. But what truly made Alphamon's involvement odd was that he was never known to follow Yggdrasill's orders, especially when he felt the Digital God was wrong. So why was Alphamon helping Yggdrasill? Was he infected with the illness or was there something else going on?

Phelesmon groaned. There were far too many questions and not enough answers. For now, maybe he should worry about the Digimon and children under his care and if the barrier would truly protect them. The countdown now flashed 4:59 as it continued to countdown. Phelesmon swallowed nervously. He truly hoped the barrier was enough to protect everyone. Deep within a secret computer room and protected by magic, on the lower level of the castle, the Digimenal of Kindness was giving off an odd energy to the barrier program he had running. But it wasn't the only one now. Upon the children entering his kingdom in their weakened state, the Digimentals of Courage, Friendship, Love, Purity, Sincerity, Knowledge and even Miracles left the D-Terminals to supply their own energy to the barrier that protected them from the danger that was to come.

Phelesmon glanced at Ken then, worry filling his every being. Ken looked so weak and so fragile. He didn't deserve this. Not again. Phelesmon wanted to scream, wanted to punch something, to be able to let out the fear and anger that was currently boiling inside. Being unable to destroy Alphamon was one thing, but to see one brother killed and another close to death again had almost set him over the edge.

Phelesmon knew he would forever be haunted by the image of Bastemon, Banchou Leomon, and Queen and King Chessmon gathering around the injured children, assessing the damage before taking them to the kingdom. The damage had been too great. Hida Iori had been the least injured. He only had a sprained ankle from when his partner pushed him behind some desert shrubbery before using his body as a shield. Inoue Miyako had been a little more injured than her friend, but it wasn't bad. She had a few bruises like her friend and a dislocated shoulder, which had been easy to reset. They had both been thankfully conscious, unlike the other members of their team.

Phelesmon's hand tightened around the strange device in his anxiety. Motomiya Daisuke and Minamoto Ken had been the most hurt. Daisuke had suffered from several burns on his chest, arms, and legs and a deep ugly wound on his chest from (what they assumed) trying to protect Ken from most of the blast. He also had a few broken ribs, but they hadn't known that until after they examined him back at the palace. Ken suffered from a terrible wound on his forehead and on his upper right calf. He also had a burn on the right side of his chest, as well as a concussion. Both boys had been bleeding badly and it was only thanks to Miyako and Lady Bastemon, who had managed to still the blood with pieces of their own clothing, that they were alive.

"Please, wake up," he pleaded softly, wishing he would wake up. Ken had been the only one yet to wake up from his injuries. Well, that wasn't exactly true. Ken had woken up briefly, while he had been carrying him in his arms. He, however, had been very confused and disoriented. He seemed to had been unable to focus very well and his speech had been slurred when he tried to speak. However, Ken had not stayed conscious for very long. Ken had only been able to weakly call out "Wormmon" and "Phelesmon" before losing consciousness once again.

"Ph-Ph-Phe-le-les-mon...?" Phelesmon's body straightened and stilled, his breath caught in this throat. The Fallen Angel Digimon shifted his gaze to Ken, his arms tightening around his brother's DigiTama as it began to glow brighter than it had been a moment ago.

"Oh, thank Shakamon," he whispered under his breath with a relieved sigh as he walked over to Ken's bed. His brother's DigiTama grew brighter and brighter. From the corner of his eye, Daisuke had begun to stir from his light doze. The other child had been just as worried about his best friend's health when he had regained consciousness several hours ago and had wanted to stay up to watch over his friend still body. But the boy's injured body had demanded rest. So with the promise that he would not leave their side and with Chicomon snuggled against his partner's side, the child fell into a light sleep. "I was so worried about you," Phelesmon said as he placed himself within Ken's line of vision. "How do you feel?"

Ken closed his eyes for a moment before attempting to focus on his face. "H-hurt...t-tired..."

"I know," Phelesmon said softly as he gently ran his fingers through the boy's hair. "We were only able to stop the blood flow and to cool your burns right now. Cutemon and the others will be back later to finish healing your wounds." The others were exhausted and needed the rest. He had demanded them to get something to eat, rest up a bit, and then come back to finish healing the two boys. They both needed another round of treatments. For now, the two would just have to settle for the painkillers that were entering their bodies through the IVs.

Ken nodded weakly as he turned his gaze to the DigiTama. It glowed brighter and brighter the closer it got to him. It was ready to hatch. Phelesmon gently placed the DigiTama on Ken's chest and watched with a smile as his brother was born. Leafmon stood there on Ken's chest with teary eyes before he latched onto his partner's neck with a happy: "KEN-CHAN! KEN-CHAN! KEN-CHAN!"

Ken smiled weakly at his partner as tears slowly began to fall down his cheeks. "L-Le-Leaf-mon..." Despite Ken's weak, reassuring smile, Leafmon's eyes still filled with guilt and shame.

"I'm sorry!" he cried. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you!" Chicomon, who had been watching Daisuke as he slept, jumped over to Ken's bed and began to apologize as well.

"Enough will the apologies," Daisuke groaned as he cracked an eye open. Despite the boy's annoyed tone, Daisuke looked relieved that his friend was finally up and conscious.

Phelesmon smiled at the two them, simply relieved that the two were reunited and safe. However, just as Phelesmon pulled his chair closer to the bed, the strange device burst to life, floating out of his hand and hovering above Ken's weak body.

"D-Scanner, Version 2.0, registration program activated," the device's mechanical voice rang. Phelesmon froze, half expecting it to release the same corrupted data that affect the rest of the Digital World, while the more logical side of him realized that this was a digivice. The D-Scanner was slightly bigger than Ken's D-3 (which had been stolen by Gennai, along with Ken's D-Terminal), but still had that same gray texture for the body. The grip, instead of being black like Ken's old digivice, was green (to most likely match Wormmon's skin tone), while the buttons were the same tone of red as his own skin tone. There was also a golden ring around the screen.

"Scanning." The screen glowed and they all watched with surprise as a green ray of light shot out of the screen and traveled over Ken's body twice, before scanning him as well.

"What on earth is going on?" Daisuke asked, confusion and suspicion filling his voice, voicing Ken's silent question as he gazed at the digivice in slight fear.

"Scanning complete. Analyzing data," the voice rang before speaking several seconds later. "Analysis complete. To complete registration of D-Scanner, Version 2.0, please confirm data. Owner: Chosen of Kindness and Forgiveness. Ichijouji Ken. Is this correct?"

"Actually, it's Minamoto. Minamoto Ken," Ken said hesitantly, the fear now gone and replaced with confusion.

"Updating, please wait. Updating...Updating complete. Owner: Chosen Child of Kindness and Forgiveness. Minamoto Ken. Updating Digimon partners' profile."

"Partners?" Confusion rang out of Ken's voice as he gazed at the digivice, but he hadn't been the only one. Daisuke and the rest of them had voiced their own confusion as well.

"Chosen Digimon of Kindness: Leafmon. Level: Baby I. Baby form of Wormmon. Chosen Digimon of Forgiveness: Phelesmon."

"What?!" Phelesmon jumped to his feet, shocked, just as his younger brother cheered: "Oh, Oniisan! Oniisan! You're Ken-chan's partner now! You're Ken-chan's partner now!" When did this happen?

"Level: Perfect. Perfect form of Wormmon. Adding...Registration complete. Would you like a rundown of main functions?"

"S-sure," Ken answered in a daze, obviously still trying to process what had just happened. He didn't blame. He was in a similar state.

"Accessing main functions. Main functions...Evolution. Normal Evolution: Enable. Jogress Evolution: Enable. Armor Evolution: Enable. Spirit Evolution: Disable."

"Armor?" Ken murmured. "I don't have a Digimental."

"What's Spirit Evolution?" Daisuke asked, but no one seemed to have an answer for him.

"Communication & Emails. Voice Communication: Enable. Email: Enable. Digimon Analyzer...Updating...Updating complete. Digimon Analyzer: Enable. Map. Updating map. Updating complete. Map: Enable. Storage. Digimental: Enable. Digimon: Enable. Digital Gates: Enable," the voice said before the screen returned to black and fell to the bed. No one said anything for a long moment, simply staring at the new digivice that landed a few inches from Ken's hand. Phelesmon collapsed onto his chair, wondering what had just happened. Had he truly just become Ken's partner? Before anyone could comment on what had just happened, Nanomon and Etemon rushed into the room with fear written all over their features.

"Lord Phelesmon!" Nanomon yelled as he ran into the room with a laptop in his arms.

"It's bad! It's very bad!" Etemon said as he shifted from foot to foot.

"What's going on?" he asked the two Digimon he had left in charge to research the odd countdown in the sky.

"The countdown! It's a reboot!" Nanomon told him in a panic, showing him the strange data on the computer screen, along with a _warning_ flashing on the screen.

"A what?!"

"The Digital World," Etemon said, his whole body and voice shaking in fear, "is being rebooted to a time before the Holy Beasts ever walked this world."

Phelesmon gasped, turning his gaze towards the window. But it was too late. The countdown was already flashing 0:00. Phelesmon watched in horror, gripping his partner's hand, as a bright flash of light began engulfing the Digital World.

"Shakamon, please, protect us..."


	7. Sons

Amethyst orbs stun with tears as he gazed down at his youngest. The small child slept peacefully in his arms, unaware of the emotions the two parents were feeling. The two young parents had been terrified when they learned they were having children. They hadn't had planned on having sex with each other. But the two of them had been terribly drunk the night of Daisuke's twenty-fifth birthday party. They had not known that Daisuke and Taichi had spiked the punch, resulting in them not remembering what they've had done until the next morning.

The two had been horrified, especially since they've only been officially together for little over a year. Oh, Tsubasa had tried to hide that she was pregnant, afraid of what he would think. But he had found out on one of their dates. In all honestly, Ken had been rightfully scared. Not because Tsubasa was having his kids. But because he feared that he would be a horrible father.

Ken knew it sounded illogical with how wonderful Jurou treated him. He was supportive, understanding, and never once gave the indication that he would ever harm him. But Ken couldn't help but think back to when he was a terrified child. A time in when he was always afraid. A time when he was being beaten and belittled on a daily basis. A time when he would be rendered unconscious and bleeding until someone helped him. A time when he almost lost his life.

And then there would be the time when he was the Kaiser and the horrible deeds he had done. It proved that he was capable of harming others. And that deeply terrified him.

However, Tsubasa had known him since he was adopted by the Minamotos and knew everything about him. She knew his fears, his uncertainties, and his past traumas. So it was easy for her to read him, allowing her to calm his fears. She truly believed that he would be nothing like his father. He was a better man than his father ever was.

And now that the twins were born, Ken found himself truly believing her words. "What should we name them?" Ken glanced up to stare into tired dark blue eyes.

Ken thought for a moment. Ken and Tsubasa had discussed that they would each name one of the twins. And the one they named would have their last name. Ken gazed at the youngest. He smiled when he saw that he had woken up, tired amethyst eyes stared back at him. "How about Kouji? Kouji Minamoto."

Ken turned his gaze to his girlfriend, who was smiling in approval. "It's perfect." Tsubasa turned her gaze to the eldest of the twins, who yawned after having his fill of milk. "Kouichi." She stroked the newborn's cheek with her finger. "Kouichi Kimura."


	8. Loss

The room was deadly silent as the sounds of Ken's sorrowful sobs filled the room. None of them had expected that Kimura would be so cruel. They had all thought she was a sweet, caring woman. She had helped Ken with his confidence, nightmares, and doubts when they were younger and the years that followed afterward. She had helped healed him.

And now, she had just destroyed him.

Takumi sighed as he held his brother. Ken had cared deeply for Kimura. It hadn't been that long ago since his brother came over to discuss his relationship with Kimura. He had been thinking about proposing and wanted his advice.

Takumi rubbed his brother's back as he sobbed. Ken did not deserve to be treated like this. He didn't deserve to return home with a sleeping Kouji in his arms, only to find a note by Kimura. The woman had the nerve to confess that she had cheated on him with another man. She was in love with this unknown guy. The woman even had the nerve to take Kouichi with her, abandoning her ex-boyfriend and youngest son.

The brunette had to restrain his anger as amber orbs landed on the dreaded note that laid in a crumpled heap on the coffee table. After giving Kouji to his wife, Takumi had read the letter in a hast (shocked at what Ken had been trying to tell him) before pulling the younger into his arms so he could properly cry. Next to the slightly crumpled note was the little black box, lost and forgotten.

"Why?" Ken asked. The vulnerable tone in his voice struck a chord deep within him. "Why did she leave?" Ken sounded...broken.

"I don't know," was all he could say as he lifted his gaze to his wife, who had returned after putting Kouji down for a nap. He had a feeling Jun's brother would be here very soon.

"What did I do?" Ken had asked, making the pain and anger boil, threatening to burst. "Did I do something wrong?"

The brunette closed his eyes, keeping a reign on his temper. "You didn't do anything, Ken. Nothing at all…"


End file.
